Construction AREA?

Remember, construction play is not confined to just the 'Construction Area.' It happens throughout our entire provision and should never be seen in isolation! Children can engage in construction across various environments and scenarios, whether they are building a den outside, creating a dam in a stream, stacking stones, or crafting sandcastles at the beach or in a sandbox. Construction can also involve a wealth of recycled materials, using tape, glue, and an assortment of resources. It is not limited to a designated space filled with plastic hard hats and traditional building blocks like Stickle bricks, Duplo, or Mega blocks.

Let’s take a holistic view of our entire environment! When we mention 'construction play,' what comes to mind? What materials and resources do you have to encourage this, and how do children interact with these resources and play spaces? Do they have enough room to build on a large scale? 

Are their creations allowed to remain out, enabling them to revisit and expand upon their ideas later, or must everything be packed away each day? While we understand that not all settings can leave materials out, consider how you can support children in extending and revisiting their play.

Continuous provision is key. Provide a wealth of resources, recycled materials, and loose parts, storing them in designated spaces, shelves, or containers. This ensures children know where to collect and access resources independently, fostering a sense of ownership and responsibility. Are your materials accessible both indoors and outdoors? Do you allow children to transport and move materials around the setting?

While we recognise that wooden blocks can be expensive and perhaps unsuitable for outdoor use, consider using recycled DIY wooden blocks or offcuts of wood that can withstand the elements. If we constantly restrict children to the 'construction area' or insist that materials stay in one place, we risk stifling their creativity, imagination, and play. Instead of saying, “No, that’s not allowed,” offer alternatives: “Those blocks have to stay inside, but we have some other blocks for outdoors. Let’s go find them!”

Can we enhance, develop, and extend opportunities for construction? Are our selections of recycled resources dwindling, lacking the potential to spark intrigue, curiosity, and creativity? If so, let’s take action! Replenish your resources and enhance continuous provision both indoors and outdoors. Have you looked at your environment with fresh eyes lately, or has it gone unnoticed?

Here’s a useful list of large-scale loose parts for outdoor play. Why not ask parents and carers if they can help source and find such items? Do they work in construction or have access to useful materials? Let’s see what we can collect, rescue, salvage, and find!

Is your environment equipped and prepared for the children who enter through your doors?

Guttering

Planks

Go-kart tyres

Tubing

Reels

Milk crates

Bread crates

Food delivery crates

Laminate planks

Wheels

Tyres

Cable reels

Drain pipes

Ladders

Tarpaulin

Wooden logs

Slices of tree trunks

Bollards

Big pebbles

Bricks

Pram wheels

Hose

Cardboard tubing

Wood offcuts

Selection of crates, go kart tyres, reels all easily accessible 

Pram tyres

Selection of resources 

Tubing and planks

Want to know more about The Curiosity Approach® We have an online CPD accreditation programme for your entire team. It comprises of 6 modules that you can work through to reflect on your early childhood provision and practice. MODULE ONE- looks at the environment and we help educators understand how to make changes within their provision. One of the areas we delve deep into is ‘construction’ recognising this is holistic within the whole play space- both indoors and outdoors. Did you know that before children can construct, they deconstruct? It’s important we recognise and understand stage appropriate practice and child development.

WANT TO KNOW MORE? Details of The Curiosity Approach Accreditation are herehttps://thecuriosityapproach.p...ALTERNATIVELY you can contact our team by emailing us support@thecuriosityapproach.co.uk or going to our website https://thecuriosityapproach.p...for further details.

Take the Curiosity Approach® Scorecard Quiz https://thecuriosityapproach.s...

This blog was written by Stephanie Bennett, co founder of The Curiosity Approach® and is copyright protected.